December 19, 2012 -- A six-year old girl is playing in her backyard, and cuts her foot on a thorn. She cries out for help, as blood slowly seeps from her fresh wound. Her parents rush to her side, caressing her, telling her everything is going to be alright. They notice the deep cut, and swiftly pick her up, taking her to the family minivan. 20 minutes later the family is in the doctor’s clinic. They check in and wait in the lobby, the parents pacing back and forth worriedly, as the daughter sits in a chair watching Finding Nemo, the same movie she sees every time she waits in the doctor’s office. After a short wait, a cheerful nurse, dressed in a blue gown, steps into the lobby and calls the girl’s name from her clipboard, proceeding to lead the whole family into the examination room. Fast-forward an hour, and the family exits the clinic, the parents relieved that their daughter could get the care she needed. The daughter smiles as well, proudly holding the sticker and lollipop the doctor gave her for being such a brave little girl.
Let’s rewind 37 years to the story of a similar young girl. In 1975, six-year old Virginia Garcia and her farm worker parents made the arduous journey from their home in Mission, Texas to Washington County. They sought a better life as migrant workers in the berry fields of the Pacific Northwest. As they made their way here Virginia cut her foot, and by the time they reached Oregon, it had become infected. Due to economic, language and cultural barriers preventing her from getting healthcare, Virginia died from what should have been an easily treatable wound. Furthermore, her tragic death came on Father’s Day as her own father was working in the fields, unaware of the calamitous turn of events. Determined to ensure that other migrant families would never have to face such adversity, the community gathered together to open the first Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in a three-car garage in Cornelius. This center was founded on the fundamental principle that every human being, regardless of race, religion, gender, age, sexuality, or even rightful citizenship, deserves healthcare. Thus even an innocent girl like Virginia Garcia deserved to be taken care of in the same way that the first little girl was cared for.
It’s hard to believe that since that day in 1975, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center has grown into a multi-million dollar non-profit organization, serving over 35,000 low-income residents of Washington and Yamhill counties. At the forefront is the Foundation’s Executive Director Christine Rontal, a cheerful, redheaded woman with a self-professed “strong eye for strategy and management.” Her interest in non-profit work began when she was a student at the University of Amsterdam and saw a photo exhibit from the Rwanda genocide. Upon graduating, she decided to join the Peace Corps in Gbeko, Benin, where she served as a rural community health worker: “I was at an impressionable age, and witnessing this poverty and lack of healthcare was an incredibly impactful experience in my life.” After receiving a Masters degree in Social Enterprise Administration from Columbia University, and working briefly as a social worker in New York City, she and her family moved to Portland. “When I moved to Portland, I became so interested in migrant worker culture. There are so many barriers preventing them from getting healthcare, I knew I wanted to make a difference here.”
At Virginia Garcia, Rontal leads a team of ambitious individuals in grant writing, strategic planning, fundraising, marketing, and branding. “My job is simple. I build partnerships that strengthen communities. In my work at the foundation, I am not only strengthening the migrant worker community, and the community of uninsured families – I am helping community members see how they are all connected.”
Unfortunately, on a national level, providing care for migrant workers is far from simple. For starters, agriculture is one of the nation’s most dangerous professions. In 2009, there were 24.7 work-related injury deaths per 100,000 famers and farm workers according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That same year, the overall U.S rate of fatal occupational injuries was just 3.5 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers, according to the Department of Labor. Coupled with the danger of the profession, there are many barriers preventing this population of people from getting healthcare. Because the majority of these workers are undocumented, they are afraid that if they try to get healthcare, they will be reported to law enforcement. On top of this fear, most migrant workers are uninsured, and face transportation and language barriers. Virginia Garcia has taken steps to break down all these barriers. “We never ask for documentation, and we never turn anybody down because they can’t pay,” Rontal said. In terms of language barriers, 60 languages are spoken in their clinics, and 61% of patients are served in a language other than English. Finally, to offer care for migrant workers who cannot come to their clinics because of either transportation issues or fear, they offer a mobile clinic. In addition to providing basic primary care, four of their clinics offer pharmacies, three offer dental services, and they have programs in place to focus on wellness. An example of this is their Padres con Iniciativa (Parents with Initiative) program, which focuses on preventing child abuse, and neglect, and empowering parents to raise healthy and happy kids. PCI essentially provides classes and one-on-one mentoring for parents so they can learn good parenting skills, communication skills, and a have a support network for their families. In fact, every patient has a core medical team that consists of a physician, a nurse, a physician’s assistant, a case manager, and a behavioral therapist. According to Rontal, “This is the hallmark of our organization. We offer very high quality, well-rounded care to our patients, that they would otherwise never be able to get.”
Because of passionate and ambitious people like Rontal, Virginia Garcia is able to provide phenomenal care to people. Yet on a national level, healthcare for the migrant worker population remains a huge problem. According to the CDC, migrant worker clinics serve only 13% of the intended population. Virginia Garcia is making huge strides, breaking down barriers, and setting a great example for the rest of the country. When asked about this, Rontal replied, “Our work is nowhere near done. There are 100,000 people in this area without access to healthcare, and we only have the capacity to serve 35,000 of them. We need to open more clinics, and get people the care they deserve.” Rontal and her team have a dream, that someday, all who are suffering will get the care they deserve, whether it is that little girl who cuts her foot on a thorn, or a poor girl from a migrant family like Virginia Garcia. Because of their hard work and dedication, every day Virginia Garcia gets closer and closer to seeing this dream realized.
Vinay originally wrote this article as part of his school’s literary journalism project and first became interested in healthcare for the migrant worker population after reading Coyotes, Ted Conover's recollection of his journeys with undocumented workers in the United States. Upon hearing about the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center and their attempts to break barriers to healthcare for the migrant workers population, he decided to pursue this topic for his project. He believes this is an important story to tell because of the incredible difference Virginia Garcia's programs and services are making in the lives of community members.
Vinay is passionate about writing and is an internationally recognized scientific researcher and author. In his free time, he enjoys playing piano and oboe, and is a member of the Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra. In the future, he hopes to use his fluency in Spanish to volunteer at Virginia Garcia and learn more about the plight of migrant workers in our community.
WORKS CITED
"About." Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. N.p.. Web. 24 Oct 2012.
"Foundation" Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation. N.p.. Web. 24 Oct 2012.
Galewitz, Phillip. "Fear keeps migrant workers from getting health care." USA Today. 06 2012: n. page. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.
Jones, Richard. "New Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center Set to Open in October." El Hispanic News. 02 2012: n. page. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.
"Locations." Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. N.p.. Web. 24 Oct 2012.
Moyer, Christine. "Migrant farmworkers: Medical care for an invisible population." American Medical News. 06 2012: n. page. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.
"Programs and Services." Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. N.p.. Web. 24 Oct 2012.
Rontal, Christine. Personal Interview. 6 November 2012.
"Statistics and Patient Demographics" Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation. N.p. Web. 24 Oct 2012.
United States. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Agricultural Safety. Web.
